Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 20:43:55 GMT
Server: NCSA/1.4.2
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Last-modified: Sat, 05 Feb 1994 03:28:24 GMT
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<TITLE>Wendell Berry on Good Technology</TITLE>
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In an essay entitled <I> Why I am not going to buy a computer</I>,
social critic Wendell Berry proposed the following criteria for
distinguishing technology and tools that are good and useful from
those that are bad and harmful.

<OL>
	<LI> The new tool should be cheaper than the one it replaces.

	<LI> It should be at least as small in scale as the one it replaces.

	<LI> It should do work that is clearly and demonstrably better
than the one it replaces.

	<LI> It should use less energy than the one it replaces.

	<LI> If possible, it should use some form of solar energy,
such as that of the body.

	<LI> It should be repairable by a person of ordinary
intelligence, provided that he/she has the necessary tools.

	<LI> It should be purchasable and repairable as near home as
possible.

	<LI> It should come from a small, privately owned shop or
store that will take it back for maintainance and repair.

	<LI> It should not replace or disrupt anything good that
already exists, and this includes family and community relationships.

</OL>

It is far from obvious that the World-Wide Web and related
paraphernalia of the Information Age should receive particularly high
marks on these criteria. <P>

Much thanks to Paul Barton-Davis for actually typing this in, and
pointing me to the essay in the first place.

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